Located within a vast 8,000-acre private reserve, Reserva do Ibitipoca is a small collection of simple, renovated wooden buildings. The main one, Fazenda do Engenho, is an 18thC reconstructed farmhouse and has eight uncomplicated rooms and a beautiful lakeside location. There are three more unfussy outlying houses with a further seven rooms. Each building is furnished similarly with soft leathers and draped linens, but it’s the pretty details that made us feel at home: painted windowpanes and shutters complement polished wooden floors, and there is an abundance of soft bedspreads and grand sofas on which to relax. The reserve boasts waterfalls, grottos and a hidden art installation with guided hikes, horseback tours and electric bikes. The food is a highlight and without fault, with a large selection of authentic dishes on offer at lunch. Dinner is served – restaurant-style: crisp linens, silver cutlery, fine wine – by torchlight beside a waterfall.